According to a brief announcement on Friday, March 10, made on CCTV, China’s most advanced fighter jet, the J-20, officially enters service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). Developed since the late 1990s, the J-20 is a stealth fifth-generation fighter aircraft China hopes will narrow the military gap with the United States.

A PLAAF J-20 stealth fighter jet(Credit: Top81.cn)

Eight prototype have been built so far, with two being Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP). The J-20 is yet to be equipped with its designated engine, the Xian WS-15, but has been reportedly tested with the homegrown PL-15 and PL-10 air-to-air missiles.

The aircraft features a glass cockpit, with two main large color liquid crystal displays (LCD) situated side-by-side, three smaller auxiliary displays, and a wide-angle holographic head-up display (HUD). According to analysts, the J-20 could features the Type 1475 AESA radar.

China’s 2017 defence budget is to grow by a further 7% to over $150 billion, Beijing announced last week. This is still roughly only a quarter of what the United States spends on its military.